Native Americans in North America
Who were the Anasazi people? What did they build?
They were a people who settled in the Four Corners area (where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet).
They built pueblos, which are apartment-like buildings made from adobe.
They also built cliff dwellings, which are houses built along the cliffs and mountainsides.
Lastly, they built kivas, which are cave-like underground ceremonial chambers used for religious ceremonies.
What is a Powwow? How about a Potlatch?
A powwow is a gathering of Native Americans, a celebration, that has dancing and singing.
A Potlatch is practiced by many indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest. This is a time when they exchange gifts, feast, and participate in other activities.
What was the Silk Road?
The route used by traders to travel between China and the West in order to buy-and-sell goods.
Who were the conquistadores and what did they want to accomplish? Who were two famous conquistadores?
Conquistadores were Spanish explorers and conquerors.
They wanted to: 1. Convert people to Christianity; 2. Trade for goods; 3. Find lots of gold.
Hernan Cortes (Mexico - Aztec Empire)
Francisco Pizarro (Peru - Inca Empire)
Who were: Jacques Cartier, Henry Hudson?
Jacques Cartier was a French man who explored the Saint Lawrence River and claimed what is now Canada, for France.
Henry Hudson was an Englishman sent by the Dutch, who explored the Hudson River. Died in a mutiny.
Who were the Mound Builders? Why were they called that? What is Monks Mound?
The Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian people.
They are called that because they created huge earth mounds as temples and burial markers.
Monks Mound is the site of the Mississippian people's largest mound, located in present-day Illinois.
What is the tribes' connection to ancestral spirits? How about nature? What about storytelling?
Many tribes believe in ancestral spirits, the idea that their ancestors who have died continue to be a part of their lives.
They have a deep connection to nature: plants and animals.
Storytelling has played a crucial role in preserving the history and cultural traditions of the North American tribes. Through stories, elders taught important lessons about history, spirituality, the natural world, and moral values. These stories were not written down, but were passed down from generation to generation through the spoken word.
What were caravels and who engineered them? Why? What were they hoping to explore?
The Portuguese began using small sailing ships called caravels. The Portuguese became the leaders in world exploration. Prince Henry the Navigator built a school of navigation in Portugal in the 1400's. The Portuguese explored the coast of West Africa and traded for gold, ivory and slaves. But what they wanted the most was to find a way around Africa so they could sail to India and trade there.
How did Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro capture/conquer such powerful empires as the Aztec and the Inca?
1. Their weapons, armor, and horses made them seem godlike and gave them the advantage.
2. They took their enemies by surprise.
3. They got the support of oppressed locals.
4. BIG REASON: European diseases like smallpox wiped out a large percentage of the Aztec and Inca populations.
What was The Treaty of Tordesillas?
What was the Iroquois League (aka Five Nations)?
Five separate Indian Nations in what's now upstate New York. Made up of the Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, Mohawk, and the Oneida.
In the 1500s, they formed a powerful alliance called the Great Law of Peace.
In the 1700s, the Tuscarora nation joined the league, and the Five Nations became the Six Nations.
What is the Sun Dance Ceremony?
The Sun Dance Ceremony is a sacred and complex ritual practiced by many Indian tribes. It takes place over several days and includes fasting, prayer, and dancing. It takes place in the summer months, outside. The most important part of the ceremony is the construction and decoration of a sacred tree or pole, known as the Sun Dance Tree. The tree or pole represents the axis of the world.
What were the 4 "S's" (the 4 goods) that made Europeans want to explore and trade?
1. Spices
2. Silk (fabric)
3. Scents (perfume)
4. Precious Stones (gems)
Who was Juan Pone De Leon? Who was Bartolome De Las Casas?
Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513 and created a strong colony in present day St. Augustine. He found what he alleged to be the Fountain of Youth there. Florida became the first Spanish settlement in the US.
Bartolome De Las Casas was a priest who spoke and wrote about the bad treatment of the Native Americans. In 1542, Spain passed the New Laws which it illegal to enslave Native Americans.
Who was Sir Walter Raleigh and what did he do?
From which part of North America were the following tribes? 1. Inuits, 2. Iroquois, 3. Ute, 4. Chinook, 5. Apache, Navajo, 6. Dakota, 7. Creek, Seminole, Cherokee
1. Inuits - The North
2. Iroquois - The North East
3. Ute - The West
4. Chinook - The Northwest
5. Apache, Navajo - The Southwest
6. Dakota - The Great Plains
7. Creek, Seminole, Cherokee - The Southeast
What is the Sweat Lodge Ceremony? What is the purpose of it?
A lodge (small house) is made of natural materials, and covered with blankets/tarps. The inside is heated up by a dire covered with rocks in the center of the lodge. Water is poured on the rocks to create steam and heat. This helps to purify and cleanse the body and spirit. A spiritual leader offers prayers and songs as people sit in a circle around the fire. This ceremony is also believed to be a powerful tool for physical and emotional healing.
Who were the following explorers: Bartolomeu Dias; Vasco Da Gama; Amerigo Vespucci; Ferdinand Magellan?
Bartolomeu Dias - Travelled to the southern tip of Africa and named the land the "Cape of Good Hope".
Vasco Da Gama - Sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in India in 1498.
Amerigo Vespucci - Sailed along the coast of South America in 1502 and was the first to realize he wasn't in Asia. "America" was named after him.
Ferdinand Magellan - He and his friends were the first to circumnavigate the world in 1519. Circumnavigate means to sail all around the world.
What were the 3 main kinds of Spanish settlements in the Americas? Also, define the following: viceroy, encomienda, hacienda and plantation.
1. Pueblos - towns and trading centers
2. Missions - focused on converting people to Christianity
3. Presidios - forts
Viceroy - There were 2 of these, one in Central America and one in Peru. They were appointed by the Spanish king and queen to rule the areas on behalf of them.
Encomienda - A royal grant of land, including all the people on it.
Hacienda - A large estate.
Plantation - A large farm raising cash crops. Cash crops are a plant that farmers grow to make money. Some of these cash crops were: coffee, cotton, tobacco, and sugar.
Who was Samuel Da Champlain and what did he do?
He was a French explorer who founded a trading post in Quebec in 1608 and called the area "New France".
Later, in 1682, the French sailed down the Mississippi River and claimed what is now Louisiana for the French. They set up a trading post in what is now New Orleans.
What were Totem Poles? Which tribes were known for creating these?
Poles created by Native Americans by carving and painting representations of ancestors or animal spirits on long pieces of wood.
The tribes from the Northwest were known for creating these.
What is the Vision Quest Tradition?
A spiritual journey that involves seeking guidance and insight through fasting, prayer, medication, and isolation. The individual goes alone to a remote area, usually in nature, and fasts for several days from food and drink. Usually this is done by people wanting guidance for specific life questions, or by those who are becoming adults, as a right of passage.
What did Christopher Columbus want to do that was new and different? Who finally sponsored him? What were the names of his 3 ships? Where did he first land?
Columbus wanted to reach India by sailing west instead of east around Africa. Because no one had done this before, no one wanted to pay him to try this.
King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain decided to sponsor him.
In 1492, Columbus left Europe with three ships: The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria.
He first landed in the Bahamas.
What is a social hierarchy? What did the social hierarchy look like in conquered America in the 1500s?
1. Peninsulares: These were people who were born in Spain, but lived in the Americas.
2. Creoles: These were the children born to Spanish parents in the Americas.
3. Mestizos: The children of Europeans and Americans (children of Spanish and American Indians).
4. Native Americans
5. African slaves
Who was Peter Minuit and what did he do?
The Dutch took over the Hudson River Valley. The Dutch West India Company established the colony of New Netherland in 1621 along the Hudson River.
In 1626, Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan from the local people who were called Manhattes for about $24. The city of New Amsterdam, which today is NYC, became a very popular spot for trading fur.